Finding the Balance
by Blue Eyed Blues
Summary: Young Nolee Baavra comes to the Enterprise with a few surprising skills for a girl her age. Under the tutelage of Bones, will she be able to handle the stress of working on a starship as well as her personal life?


Darkness. And silence. The all encompassing type that suggests sleep. Then...

Pain.

Exploding, excrutiating pain. The kind that licks at muscles like fire until they are consumed with it. It radited everywhere, through every joint and tendon until every last bit was alive with the burn. Slowly through the nothing, muffled cries of pain floated to the surface. Dim lights began making their way through the darkness. Then, a voice stood above it all.

"...How should I know? Look, listen to me ok?" A man's voice carried through the air. He was out of breath, and in ovbious distress. His voice carried an authoritative and scared edge to it, like he was on the verge of a panic attack. "Hey! Damnit! This whole fucking ship is a death zone, we haven't even checked on the captain, and she's unconscious." Let's put her on that cot and come back when she's... Hey! I know, alright? But what can we do? We have wounded and dying on every floor. Sorry Bones, I'm out. They need me in Egineering!" Shoes scuffled away, then a heavy sigh.

"How he hell dd you end up like this?" A second voice spoke. "Sorry you're unconscious, I wouldn't leave you otherwise. But Gafferty's right, I need to get to the bridge. You'll be fine. Yeah, Bones, she'll be fine. Right." The person in question made no visible response, so Bones slowly gathered himself up to leave.

Everything in the young Lieutenant's mind screamed that she needed help. _I'm awake!_ She attempted to sit up, but her muscles disobeyed her nd she remained motionless. _Come on, think. I am not going to die here all alone!_ "H... hey..." Her voice was weak, too pathetic to hear from across the room. "Hey..." Bones didn't even slow down. _Think fast Nolee! I need... yes! _The young officer moved as much as she could manage, took a halting breath, and began to whistle. It barely came out, but barely was better than silence. She waited in a moment of anicipatory silence before she heard th manturn around. _Oh thank God._

"Did you just.. whistle?" Bones asked the unconscious woman on the ground. He leaned closer, and saw her struggling to make a reply. "Great. You're awake. Just perfect. Well I'm going to give you a stim shot, that should help take you out of shock. You'll have to come with me to the bridge though." He retreived a large mechanical needle from his pack and stuck it in her neck. The soldier in question winced slightly at the shot, then seemed to relax. Almost instantly she started to regain use of her limbs.

"Thank you, doctor. I was in shock pretty bad there, and I didn't want to be left alone." She slowly stood up, taking stock of all her injuries. "Thanks for the stim shot. I'll make my way to medical and get checked out."She started to limp away, but Bones caught her hand before she even made two steps.

"No, I don't think so. Med bay is probably packed right now, your best bet is to stick with me. I'm on my way to the bridge to checkon the captain and crew. You ok to walk that far?" She nodded. "Good. I'll check you out there. I'm Dr. McCoy by the way." He extended a hand.

"Leiutenant Baavra. Call me Nolee." She shook his hand, then they started off toward the bridge. "So Doc, what the hell happened?"

"No idea. I was giving some new recruits a tour of med bay when we got hit. Can't say what it was, and I hate to leave them like that, but protocol insists that I go to the bridge." They started up aflight of stairs, not even bothering to check an obviously broke elevator. "So," Bones heped her up a few stairs. "What are you training for? Communications?"

"I'm actualy not here traning. I was just assigned as your Junior Psychlogist. Today is my first day." Bones laughed at the face she made.

"You can't be over twenty, how the hell did you get an assignment? I hope you're not another Chekov. He's a great kid, but really..." Bones trailed off.

"Let's just say that I'm really good at reading people." She said abruptly. "And I'm applying for the Fight Commander position." Bones laughed again, then stopped when she ddn't laugh along.

"Kid, you can't be serious." She just looked at him, her bright blue eyes shining. "How old are you anyway?"

"Nineteen. I'll be twenty in a few months." She tried to say it nonchalantly, but lost her balance at the end and pitched headfirst through a door.

"Whoa, kid, calm it! You'll end up in worse shape if you don't slow down. Come here." Bones helped the young woman to her feet and gingery put her arm around his shoulder. "There we go. Come on, we're headed this way." The pair shuffled over bits of broken glass and fallen equipment towards the door. It wan't quite as torn apart in the hallway though flakes of glass and papers has scattered themselves across the floors. The two chatted as they picked their way through the debris, and eventually ended up at the doors to the bridge.

"Here we are." Nolee said, slightly in awe. "You know, this is my week aboard. I've never been this close to the bridge before." Bones gave her a smile, and a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Well good luck kid, this ain't allit'scracked up to be." With one last glance at each other, the pair took a breath and dove right in to the mess that was the bridge.


End file.
